What Is Magnesium?
Magnesium is an essential mineral, meaning that your body doesn't produce it, so it must come from outside sources. You receive magnesium through your diet. Magnesium-rich foods include:
- Dark leafy greens
- Seeds and nuts, including sunflower and sesame seeds, cashews, and almonds
- Squash, broccoli, and other vegetables
- Legumes
- Dairy products
- Meat
- Unprocessed whole grains
- Chocolate
- Coffee
How Does Magnesium Work?
Magnesium is involved in more than 300 different enzyme-related reactions in the body’s cells, in addition to other processes:
- Plays a key role in energy production, activating ATP, the energy molecule that fuels your body’s cells
- Regulates transport of calcium, potassium, and other essential minerals, helping muscles and nerves function properly and maintaining heart rhythm
- Regulates blood pressure, cholesterol production, and blood glucose levels
- Aids bone development and guards against bone loss
- Functions as an electrolyte, maintaining fluid balance in your body
- Helps control your body’s stress-response system and hormones that elevate or diminish stress
Magnesium is an essential macro-mineral that plays a role in several body functions, including sleep. Since the body doesn't produce magnesium on its own, you must find ways to add magnesium to your diet.
Does Magnesium Help You Sleep?
Insomnia is a common symptom of magnesium deficiency. People with low magnesium often experience restless sleep, waking frequently during the night. Maintaining healthy magnesium levels often leads to deeper, more sound sleep.
Magnesium plays a role in supporting deep, restorative sleep by maintaining healthy levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep. Research indicates supplemental magnesium can improve sleep quality, especially in people with poor sleep. Magnesium can also help insomnia that’s linked to the sleep disorder restless legs syndrome.
How to Take Magnesium for Sleep
Magnesium supplements are available in a variety of forms, each with different absorption rates and potential side effects. Before adding magnesium to your bedtime routine, it's important to understand how to choose a supplement, when to take it, and how to use it safely.
Magnesium Dosage for Sleep
Based on amounts that have been investigated in scientific studies, experts generally recommend taking 100 to 350 mg daily. In general, it's recommended that users begin with the lowest suggested dose and gradually increase as needed. Individual dosing will vary, and can vary widely depending on an individual’s magnesium levels.
Always consult your doctor before you begin taking a supplement or make any changes to your existing medication and supplement routine.
When to Take Magnesium for Sleep
There's no universally recommended time to take magnesium for sleep, but many people choose to take it about 30 minutes to 2 hours before bedtime. This timing allows magnesium to become available in the body as part of a relaxing bedtime routine.
Consistency may be more important than the exact timing. If you decide to take a magnesium supplement, try taking it at the same time each day.
Side Effects of Magnesium
Magnesium is generally well tolerated by healthy adults. Possible side effects include bloating, diarrhea, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting.
Very large doses of magnesium can cause serious side effects, including: low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, mental confusion, changes to breathing, coma, and death.
The following people should consult with a physician before using a magnesium supplement:
- People who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- People with bleeding disorders
- People with heart block
- People with kidney problems
There are also conditions associated with higher risks for magnesium deficiency, including:
- Alcoholism
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Diabetes that isn't well controlled
- Stomach infections
- Immune conditions
Magnesium Interactions
These are commonly used medications and supplements that have scientifically-identified interactions with magnesium. People who take these or any other medications and supplements should consult with a physician before beginning to use magnesium as a supplement:
- Antacids
- Antibiotics
- Anticoagulant medications
- Biphosphonates (medications that treat bone density)
- Boron supplements
- Calcium supplements
- Digoxin (a medication that treats atrial fibrillation)
- Gabapentin
- Medications for diabetes and high blood pressure
- Muscle relaxants
- Vitamin D supplements
- Water pills
- Zinc supplements
Other Benefits of Magnesium
Healthy magnesium levels promote better sleep, stabilize mood, keep stress in check, protect metabolic health, and contribute to heart and bone health.
Stress Reduction and Mood Stabilization
Magnesium increases GABA, which encourages relaxation as well as sleep. Magnesium also plays a key role in regulating the body’s stress-response system, and magnesium deficiency is associated with heightened stress and anxiety.
Supplemental magnesium has been shown to have a stabilizing effect on mood, relieving symptoms of both mild-to-moderate anxiety and mild-to-moderate depression.
Bone Health
Magnesium plays a critical role in bone formation and in maintaining bone density. It helps the body effectively use the building blocks of strong bones, including the nutrients calcium and vitamin D.
Cardiovascular Health
Magnesium helps the heart maintain a healthy rhythm. It also helps regulate blood pressure and the production of cholesterol. High dietary magnesium intake is linked to significantly reduced mortality in people who are at high risk for cardiovascular disease.
Conversely, magnesium deficiency is linked to unhealthful inflammation and elevated inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein, or CRP.
Metabolic Health
Magnesium has an important function in regulating blood sugar, and in metabolizing glucose in the body. Higher magnesium levels are associated with lower risk for type 2 diabetes. Low magnesium levels in the body are linked to insulin resistance. Among people with type 2 diabetes, 25 to 38% are also deficient in magnesium, according to research.
Pain Relief
Research indicates supplemental magnesium may help reduce pain intensity and improve mobility for people with chronic lower back pain. Supplemental magnesium may also help improve headache pain, including for migraines.
Help With PMS
Research indicates magnesium can reduce premenstrual symptoms, including mood swings, irritability, anxiety and tension, and bloating.
ADHD Symptoms
Research indicates children with ADHD often have low magnesium levels, at significantly higher rates than children in the general population. Low magnesium in children has been linked to impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactive behavior. Studies suggest supplemental magnesium may reduce hyperactivity and improve cognitive function in children with ADHD.
Athletic Performance
Magnesium plays a major role in muscle health and energy production. What can it do for physical performance? Some research indicates supplemental magnesium can reduce the stress response to exertion and increase red blood cells and hemoglobin in athletes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which magnesium is best for sleep?
There's no single "best" type of magnesium for sleep, and research hasn't identified one form that works better than all others. However, magnesium glycinate is commonly recommended because it is generally well absorbed and less likely to cause digestive side effects than some other forms of magnesium.
Can you take too much magnesium?
Yes, it is possible to take too much magnesium, particularly from supplements. Excess magnesium may cause side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and, in rare cases, more serious health problems.
People with kidney disease may be at greater risk because their bodies can have difficulty removing excess magnesium. Always follow the dosage instructions on the product label and talk to your doctor if you have questions about how much magnesium to take.
How long does it take for magnesium to work for sleep?
There's no set timeline for when magnesium may affect sleep, and results can vary from person to person. Some people report noticing changes within a few days, while others may need several weeks of consistent use before experiencing any benefits.
If magnesium helps with sleep, it's generally thought to work gradually as part of an overall approach to healthy sleep habits rather than as an immediate sleep aid.
